A while ago IWS said proto tanks are a bad idea because the max amount slots per high/low is 5 each, and every race would basically have the same tank. Not to mention the tanks would suck balls, not getting their primary tanking improved. I agree, for those reasons. Instead of relying on slots, we can give them other bonuses and still make them balanced for a proto tank.

In chromosome, we were given advanced tanks called the Sagaris (Caldari) and the Surya (Gallente). They were faster, had more fitting (CPU/PG), slightly more base HP and had an additional slot on the opposite tanking gender (i.e, Caldari gains an additional low slot, vice versa). It was simple stat boosts that made the Sagaris and Surya worth using and still balanced. Yes, a single person with proto AV would still smack them around but they couldent be soloed in a single clip of anything, they were able to escape a single person preforming the proto AV and die miserably to 2 proto AV users, as they should. Proto should always annihilate standard, and even still best ADV, just not as hardcore. Chromosome tanking was a perfect balance of this.

A proto tank can be scaled in the same manner, just give it more base stats. At the time, the base HP of the tanking gender of the (standard) gunnlogi/madrugar was 2000 HP and the (adv) sagaris/surya had 3200. Perhaps proto can have 4500-5000 base HP per tank gender? (Per scale with 1.6 changes). The natural shield regen was also increased, so do the same for the proto tanks. From there, increase the speed from the ADV tank to make it fit for proto. The additional slots can be given or held, it doesent really matter much.

Skills (numbers used are place holders, they can be changed)
The Sagaris/Surya were called Marauder tanks, and there was a marauder skill. At the time, it gave a 5% bonus to missile/blaster damage per level. The bonus does different things per race, obviously, but it could do more than simply buff damage. They could increase base speed 10% per level (minmitar), 33% increase to natural shield regen per level natural shield regen (caldari), 10% increase to base HP per level (gallentee) or give a host of small bonuses like 5% increase speed + 15% increase to natural shield regen +5 increase base to HP (all per level) for Ammar tanks. Perhaps these listed bonues combined with other bonuses per level? This way, the skills for a proto tank are unique for each race and usefull, but still balanced.
^^
these skills would have to be applied to all 3 levels of the tanks (std, adv, proto) just like they are for dropsuits, so the proto tank is actually a proto tank and not say a marauder or enforcer tank. Proto marauder? proto enforcer? Proto logi tank? They do different things. so it would be like standard gunlogi/madrugar, adv gunlogi 2/madrugar 2, proto gunlogi 3/madrugar 3. Exactly like dropsuits, these are the "basic suits" of tanks.

So basically, dont rely on slots to make a proto tank. Give each tank tier bonuses to make them better than the tier below it and keep these bonuses race specific to make all the tanks unique and non copyable or cloned by the other races.

Specialty tanks
-A logi Lav/dropship has built in resist and built in damage output reduction with more HP. Can be done the same way for tanks.
-The enforcer is supposed to be long range and weak. The skills can better reflect on this, give a 25% increase to weapon range and zoom per level and reduce its slot count and base HP, not fitting. That way it is unique, non copyable, it is a specific kind of tank. Oh, and 5% to rendering range per level?
-Again, placeholders
-Increase their stats as they go through the stand/adv/proto teirs, do not rely on slots, slots are too easily copied per race.

What you guys think?